All Industry Accreditation (IA) cards issued under IA from January 1st, 2020, will expire on December 31st, 2024, and cannot be replaced using IA. Instead, individuals will require a vocational or academic construction-related qualification, or membership of an approved professional body.

CSCS cards should be held through the achievement of a recognised qualification and everyone should hold the right card, for the right job, in line with the Construction Leadership Council guidance.

Many of those with IA cards will no longer require a card, while those who do need to undertake a qualification will not need to attend college as flexible options such as professional discussions and on-site assessments are available. CITB grants are available to support CITB-registered employers achieve recognised qualifications.

https://www.cscs.uk.com/about/industry-accreditation/

A construction company in Kent has been fined after a sub-contractor fell and died from his injuries.

Mark Tolley, 51, fell nearly two metres through an opening in a scaffold on 5 July 2017 while working on the construction of six houses on Smarden Road in Headcorn, Kent.

He sustained several broken ribs and serious internal injuries including a punctured lung. He later died on 13 July 2017.

Mr Tolley had been installing vertical hanging tiles on one of the new properties when he fell 1.8 metres through an unguarded opening in the scaffold and landed on the ground below.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Amberley Homes (Kent) Ltd, the principal contractor for the project, had not appointed a person with the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and training to manage the construction site. The company had not ensured that a safe working platform on the scaffold was maintained throughout the different phases of the project. Access to and from the first lift working platform was unsafe as multiple openings had been made which could subsist for several weeks. The openings were unguarded and therefore there was a significant risk of falling circa 1.8 metres from the working platform.

Amberley Homes (Kent) Ltd did not control the site effectively. Its monitoring was ineffective as it did not act on concerns raised by its safety consultant when he drew the problems with site management.

HSE guidance states principal contractors must plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety in the construction phase of a project. More on this can be found at: Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (hse.gov.uk)

Amberley Homes (Kent) Ltd, of London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, entered a guilty plea to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 during a trial at Maidstone Nightingale Court in January 2024. The company was fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £83,842.34 in costs at Canterbury Crown Court on 15 March 2024.

HSE principal inspector Ross Carter said: “This tragic death could have been so easily avoided by implementing suitable site management to ensure that the scaffold was appropriately adapted by competent persons for the needs of the different sub-contractors.

“This case highlights that principal contractors should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those who fall below the required standards and do not plan, manage and monitor the construction phase effectively.”

An unregistered plumber has received a suspended prison sentence after he carried out illegal gas work at a house in Peterborough.

Anthony Rice, trading as Rice Plumbing and Oil Heating, attended the property on Edwalton Avenue on 31 January 2023 where he replaced a gas boiler and altered gas pipe work. However, Rice accidentally connected the gas supply with water, meaning the property’s gas pipes and gas meter were flooded.

Gas engineers from Cadent later attended the property and were required to pump water from the emergency control valve and replace the gas meter. The engineers classed the gas boiler Rice had installed as immediately dangerous, capped off the gas supply before notifying the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

A HSE investigation found that Anthony Rice has never been registered with the Gas Safe Register – a legal requirement. He also held no qualifications nor completed any training in gas work.

HSE has guidance for gas consumers and what they need to know in ordered to manage gas appliances and equipment safety as well as what you need to do in an emergency.

The construction industry has stepped-up its efforts to combat work-related stress and promote good mental health by joining Great Britain’s workplace regulator campaign.

The Working Minds campaign, set up by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), welcomes six new partners in the construction industry to help reach trades and offer free support.

March sees the Contract Flooring Association (CFA) and the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (ARCA), the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC), the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) and the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) commit to the campaign.

Working Minds helps employers prevent stress and support good mental health, providing free online learning to show how to make it part of routine working life and culture. The new bitesize tool typically takes no more than an hour to complete and covers what the law requires of employers and what’s needed to do to be compliant.

Users will walk through Working Minds’ five simple steps based on risk assessment. They are to Reach out and have conversations, Recognise the signs and causes of stress, Respond to any risks you’ve identified, Reflect on actions you’ve agreed and taken, and make it Routine. It needs to become the norm to talk about stress and how people are feeling and coping on site.

Liz Goodwill, head of work-related stress and mental health policy at HSE, said: “We know that running a business in construction can be stressful with long hours, juggling intense workloads.

“We are delighted the Working Minds campaign is welcoming even more partners and they will no doubt help us in our efforts to raise awareness of ways employers across Britain’s construction trades can help prevent and reduce work-related stress.

“The law requires all employers – whether you’re a demolition firm or scaffolding business – to carry out a stress risk assessment and act upon the findings. The online learning shares all the tools you need to get started in one place, and you can come back as many times as you like.”

After this date, attempted CSCS card reads via Go Smart will not work. All existing Go Smart users who wish to retain a card checking function as part of site induction or site access solutions should transition to CSCS Smart Check as soon as possible.

Employers using built-in software for the solutions referenced above should contact their technology providers to ensure CSCS Smart Check can be embedded into their existing systems.

CSCS Smart Check can also be used as a standalone app, while a desktop web portal will be available prior to Go Smart’s switch-off.

PASMA has guidance for anyone who needs a licence from the local highway authority for using a tower in an area the public can cross on foot or in a vehicle.

The guidance was due for systematic review, which was carried out by our technical committee.

Their comments and feedback helped bring the guidance up to date, ensuring it remains useful for all who need it. The document is intended to assist both licence applicants and local highway authorities issuing licences.

Changes include a simplified application form together with updates to the relevant standards and associated guidance.

Anyone buying or hiring a tower should follow PASMA’s new guidance to ensure they choose a safe piece of equipment from a reputable supplier.

The three new webpages are the first to be added to the revamped safe equipment section of our website, which is intended to help people make safe choices about the equipment they buy or hire and who supplies it to them.

https://pasma.co.uk/scaffold-towers/?mc_cid=a4dbfbf672&mc_eid=c513223b8e

An app developed for users of powered access equipment has reached the milestone of 500,000 first-time downloads.

The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) launched the ePAL app in June 2021 for operators of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and mast-climbing work platforms (MCWPs).

The app, which is free and available in seven languages, contains digital certification of training, including the IPAF Powered Access Licence (PAL) Card. It also allows sharing of safety guides and messages, logs machine use time and machine familiarisation, and can be used to report incidents and near misses.

Peter Douglas, IPAF’s CEO and Managing Director, said: “Reaching half a million downloads is a major milestone and a clear indicator that the powered access industry has embraced our digital approach.

“ePAL provides easily-accessible assurance that MEWP operators hold the right qualifications and helps to keep industry colleagues informed on safe working-practices.

“It also gives easy access to our accident reporting portal, helping to build a global picture of safety issues that informs our training, advice, communications and campaigns. The direct connection the app creates with powered access users around the world is central to our work.

“We’re grateful to everyone who uses the app for being part of our mission to drive safety in the powered access industry.”

As well as supporting safety work, the app has also helped to reduce the environmental impact of IPAF’s training and certification programme.

Mr Douglas said: “ePAL has helped us to significantly reduce our carbon footprint by slashing the number of plastic PAL Cards and paper certificates sent around the world each.

“Offering the PAL Card digitally also means lost cards and the associated costs have been eliminated for ePAL users.

“ePAL has made IPAF more efficient and more connected to powered access equipment users, and we hope to see its use continue to grow.”

The team at IPAF developed the app in partnership with member firm Trackunit.

Søren Brogaard, CEO of Trackunit said: “Reaching the 500,000-download milestone for the ePAL app is a testament to our successful partnership with IPAF and our shared commitment to improve safety and efficiency in the construction industry. This milestone is a significant leap towards our goal of eliminating downtime and promoting sustainable practices.

“As we celebrate this achievement, we remain committed to our partnership with IPAF, focusing on innovation and continuous improvement for the benefit of the entire industry.”

IPAF welcomes feedback on ePAL from its users, and aims to update with additional features as usage demands and evolving technology allows.

A Hartlepool man has been handed a community order after he admitted removing asbestos from a school when he wasn’t licenced to do so.

Sean Thomas Faulkner, 55, also intentionally falsified clearance paperwork after removing asbestos containing materials from Our Lady Lourdes School in Shotton Collery in March 2021. He carried out similar work several months earlier at a domestic property on Park Road in Middlesbrough in November 2020.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recently updated its guidance on asbestos safety and has just launched its Asbestos: Your Duty campaign that aims to improve understanding of what the legal duty to manage asbestos involves.

Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard that Faulkner failed to hold a licence to safely remove asbestos. He also failed to ensure a four-stage clearance was carried out on both jobs by a person accredited by an appropriate body, posing serious risk.

A HSE investigation found Faulkner had received the relevant training on how to safely remove licenced asbestos and was therefore fully aware of the legal requirement to hold a licence.

Faulkner of Berkeley Avenue, Hartlepool pleaded guilty to six charges, three charges at each offence location including contravening Regulations 8(1) and 20(3) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and breaching Section 33 (1)(m) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

He was given an 18-month community order, which consists of 15 days of rehabilitation, 90 days of monitored alcohol abstinence as well as him carrying out 150 hours of unpaid work. He will also pay costs of £1000.

HSE inspector Stuart Whitesmith said: “Asbestos related disease still kills around 5,000 workers each year in Great Britain. It can be present today in any building or industrial process plant built or refurbished before the year 2000.

“In this case Mr Faulkner intentionally falsified paperwork necessary to ensure the safety of both workers, other staff and vulnerable members of public.

“We will not hesitate to take action where individuals disregard health and safety law such as can be seen in this case.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Karen Park.

A North Yorkshire construction company has been fined after a worker was struck on the head and killed by a 16-ton excavator.

On 13 January 2021, Dean Myers, an employee of HACS Construction Ltd, was undertaking groundwork activities in a partially excavated trench at a site in Ripley, North Yorkshire.

The site in Ripley, North Yorkshire.

During the works, the 56-year-old was struck on the head by the moving bucket of the excavator suffering catastrophic injuries to his face and head. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the ambulance service.

The groundworks team had been preparing the trench for the laying of new drainage. Mr Myers had moved to the foot of an existing manhole directly adjacent to the trench when the excavator was reported to have met resistance whilst digging.

With nothing in place to prevent his entry into the danger zone of the excavator, Mr Myers exited the manhole via a makeshift opening to investigate. However, the excavator driver and other workers were not in a position to see that he had entered the danger zone. Here the excavator bucket then swung into him with fatal consequences.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has guidance on excavator industry safety. The precautions needed include considering clearance, visibility and the bucket attachment.

HSE’s investigation found that HACS Construction Limited had failed to identify or assess the risk arising from using the existing manhole chamber as an improvised refuge. This meant the company failed to implement a system whereby workers were prevented from entering the dangerous working zone of the excavator while the machine was being operated by a driver with limited sight. There was also inadequate supervision on site, alongside a failure to carry out monitoring visits which would have identified crucial safety failings.

At Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 24 January HACS Construction Limited of Station Yard, Ripley, North Yorkshire pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £330,500 and ordered to pay £9,141.80 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Ben Caines said: “This tragic incident could so easily have been avoided had HACS Construction Limited simply ensured that adequate control measures and safe working practices were identified and followed.

“The company should have put in place measures including the use of trained plant marshals for high-risk activities, such as the work Mr Myers was undertaking. Such measures are widely recognised and used across the construction industry as well as being advised within HSE and industry guidance.”